William Witney

Who was William Witney?

William Nuelsen Witney was an American film and television director. He is best remembered for the movie serials he co-directed with John English for Republic Pictures such as Daredevils of the Red Circle, Zorro's Fighting Legion and Drums of Fu Manchu.

He directed many Westerns during his career, and is credited with devising the modern system of filming movie fight sequences in a series of carefully choreographed shots, which he patterned after the musical sequences of American director Busby Berkeley. Prolific and pugnacious, Witney began directing while still in his 20s, and continued until 1982.

Quentin Tarantino has singled out Witney as one of his favorite directors and a "lost master", and considers four films as Witney's best work: The Golden Stallion, a Roy Rogers vehicle, Stranger at My Door, The Bonnie Parker Story, and Paratroop Command. Witney also directed Master of the World starring Vincent Price and Charles Bronson.

Whitney was also a director for Jim Davis' syndicated adventure television series, Rescue 8, which aired from 1958 to 1960.